MANILA, Philippines- Hiniling ng isang senador sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na ideklarang persona non grata si Australian Senator Janet Rice sa Pilipinas na nagpahayag ng protesta hinggil sa human rights abuses sa bansa habang nagsasalita si President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa Parliament of Australia.
Inihain ni Padilla ang panukalang Senate Resolution 944, na nagsasabing: “Rice engaged in unparliamentary behavior by expressing her dissent through an act of protest during the proceedings.”
“As reflected in the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the Australian Parliament, Senator Rice was directed ‘to leave the Chamber for disorderly behavior,'” ayon kay Padilla sa resolusyon.
“Resolved by the Senate, as it is hereby resolved, to condemn Australian Senator Janet Rice and to urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to declare her as persona non grata for her unparliamentary behavior during President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s address before the Australian Parliament in Canberra,” giit pa niya sa resolusyon.
Sakaling maaprubahan ang resolusyon ni Padilla, ibibigay ang kopya nito sa tanggapan ni Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo “for his information and appropriate action.”
Ibinigay ang resolusyon ni Padilla sa Senate Committee on Rules, na magdedesisyon kung kailan ito tatalakayin sa plenaryo.
Noong nakaraang linggo, lantarang ipinakita ni Rice kasama ang tatlo pang miyembro ng Australian Parliament ang kanilang protesta sa human right abuses ng diktadurya ng ama ni Marcos.
Habang nagsasalita si Marcos, nagpakita si Rice ng isang placard na may nakasulat na mensaheng, “Stop Human Rights Abuses.”
Sa kasunod na post sa X (dating Twitter), sinabi ni Rice na nakakahiyang iimbitahan si Marcos na magsalita sa Parliament.
“Under President Marcos Jr, corruption in the Philippines is getting worse. There are hundreds of political prisoners and ‘anti-terrorism’ laws are used as legal cover for extrajudicial killings. Yet the Australian Government invited him to address the Parliament today. Shame,” ayon kay Rice.
Samantala, hiwalay na nagprotesta si Senator Jordon Steele-John, sa labas ng Parliament habang nagsasalita si Marcos.
“While President Marcos Jr gave a speech to the parliament today, I was proud to protest in solidarity with the Australian-Filipino community outside parliament! Stop the human rights abuses!” ayon sa kanyang Instagram.
Nagpahayag naman ng kanyang saloobin si Australian Senator Barbara Pocock sao X to na nagpapahayag ng pagkadismaya sa pagbisita ni Marcos sa kanyang bansa, habang nadismaya naman si Senator David Shoebridge sa pagsasabing: “Australian Parliament is “once more being used to launder the political reputation of those involved in serious human rights abuses.” Ernie Reyes
